The wonderful and kid friendly video series of “Anne of Green Gables” is the medium where I first heard the reference to the “Lady of Shalott,” a poem made famous by Tennyson.

As mentioned in another portion of my blog, the Legend of King Arthur figured somewhat prominently in portions of the film, Anne of Green Gables. For Anne Shirley, this orphaned girl drew hope and inspiration in the legend; the story of the Lady of Shalott as portrayed in the video above, has stuck in the back of my mind for decades and instilled a curiosity in me to learn about this scene.

But life constantly moves forward, and this curiosity was not satisfied until late in my life, in my sixties when, for some reason, I became interested in the Legend of King Arthur. Then, Youtube’s algorithm suggested this excellent rendition of the poem:

I was deeply moved by this performance! McKennitt’s haunting vocals, accompanied by the fitting backing music, breathed new life into this ancient poem. It’s an interpretation that I’m certain Tennyson—and Anne Shirley—would have never imagined but would undoubtedly approve of.

Here is the scene from the movie, Anne of Green Gables, where Anne was acting out the scene of the Lady of Shalott: